Love is NOT blind.

It's easy to get carried away in all the romance this time of year, the cute little hearts popping up everywhere promising a little relief from the deathly cold winter going on. But is all the cutesy, hallmark-greeting cheesiness really all that love is?
Is it a magical fairytale evening complete with a candlelit dinner. Is it a sparkly diamond ring and a carriage ride through a park? Is it fuzzy teddy bears and beautiful cards, boxes of chocolates and dozens of roses? Is love really just a series of perfect moments, the perfect moment. Is that what love is?

When I was little I used to think love was very much like the movies, that it really was a series of magical perfect moments that climax with a dramatic engagement and a beautiful wedding day where a bride and groom can't take their eyes off one another as they glide across a gorgeous hardwood dance floor, twinkling lights spread like a canopy above them. They leave and ride off together into their perfect ever after. That is love right? That might be what movies and Disney will tell us as children. 

As I've got older my definition of love keeps evolving. When I was little it was the example of my parents, their unconditional love towards me regardless of how I was, something reserved just for families. Then it became a handful of friends who chose to spend time with me, who liked who I was. This was confusing over time as peers started dating and interest in the opposite gender grew. Love was then defined as kissing in secret and needing to be attached at the hip to your 'significant other' at least for a few weeks until you fell in love with someone else. 
It became defined as something you could fall into and just as easily fall out of. 

As beautiful as those perfect romantic moments can be in life, they are no longer part of my definition of love. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of date nights, roses, holding hands and enjoying those moments where time stands still. But love now includes more of a sacrificial battle message to me than a fairy tale story. 

Love is now defined by a husband who protects and fights for me, who goes to the grocery store for medicine when I'm too sick to even get up out of bed. It's washing the sheets filled with puke when a family member isn't feel great, coming home after a long day at work to cook, its letting your significant other choose the restaurant for date night or a mom who is up most of the night comforting a crying child and still manages to pull it together to care for her family the next day. It includes this whole dimension that is anything but fairy tale like. 

Love is also defined as putting the needs of another before your own needs, desires or comforts. 
Love can be hard. 

Love is a daily choice made regardless of feelings or atmosphere or how perfect one particular moment in time turned out to be. 

Love sees all there is to see in a person and loves anyway. 
It can see the faults, the flaws, what the face looks like without makeup. It sees the bad moods, the bad hair days, those days when we just aren't feeling our best. 

And it still shows up.

That is love to me.

And that is not blind. No matter how the saying goes. 

Pictures taken by hubby's talented cousin, Fiona. (From a few Winters ago)

Heart Stirrings.

{Via}

Hey sweet friends! So I have avoided writing on the topic of Valentines Day since I wasn't really sure what to say. I honestly I have also been avoiding talking about marriage on this space and the way in which the Lord wrote my love story because I have been afraid of upsetting so many single girls who may be struggling with discontentment. I remember being in that situation and really the last thing I want is for someone to interpret my joy as 'rubbing it in' over where God has you in your love story.

Yet, I also don't know if I am doing any single girls service by not talking about how the Lord scripted our story. Because while waiting one of the most precious things was hearing how others waited on the Lord for an answer on who He had for them, struggled through the trials while waiting but saw joy in the end, and hearing about how He had orchestrated a love story. Yes, there may have been a little tinge of jealousy. But at the end of the day, it was so encouraging to hear how someone else had waited on the Lord and watched Him fulfill His promise of having perfect plans. It gave hope knowing He had perfect plans for me also.

All that to say, my heart is in encouraging others in purity, waiting and pointing others to Jesus. Falling in love with Him and learning that He is your first love. At the same time, I don't want to be ungrateful for the beautiful love story He scripted in my life by not sharing it to encourage others. So if I do share I want you all to know my heart in this. To encourage you that our God is in the business of writing individual beautiful romances.
So maybe it is finally time to share our love story with you friends. I'm not planning on doing that this evening, but maybe in the near future I will share how I found myself married to my sweet husband in a story that couldn't have been written by anyone other than our God.

So all that said.

I wanted to share a little about Valentines Day. Not because its a special day, but I think that often these holidays have a way of reminding us how we should be cherishing relationships throughout the rest of the year. I totally agree that we should be loving our spouses and family members on a daily basis.
Yet I find my heart stirred on this 'special' occasions almost as though they serve as beautiful reminders to keep cherishing what we should be cherishing. How an anniversary, valentines day or birthday can remind us to see the blessing that another person is in our lives. How Christmas can point us to worship because of God's gift of His son. Something we should worship Him for daily, but Christmas serves as that wonderful reminder to help us, same for Easter when we focus on the Cross. So its not that these holidays are the only day we do these things, but at least for me they help my heart. Help me focus on what I should be focusing on, worshiping God and counting Blessings in life.

Our Valentines Day wasn't particularly eventful. But it was time where we could get dressed up, go out to dinner, enjoy seeing each other delight in little cards and gifts. And have that reminder that we should cherish each other. Whether its with a spouse or your family, its a great reminder to love one another and something we can do no matter what relationship status we are in.

Every year on Valentines Day I return to the same article written quite a few years ago now. I wanted to share my post from last year here again:

This is perhaps more of an {On My Heart} post, but since it is Valentines Day, I thought it appropriate to share an article I return to every February 14th since reading it a few years ago.

It was written by a wonderful Sister-in-Christ who shared what the Lord taught her while she was praying through her ideal husband.

Having written a similar list myself (when I was 16), I am a huge advocate of this idea. Being able to prayerfully consider what qualities you desire your husband to have (and even from yourself before you get married).

Then pray and ask the Lord to help grow your future husband in these ways.

When a guy then comes into your life and doesn't display these qualities, trust the Lord that this may not be the guy for you.

If he is, the Lord will show you.

I found this super helpful as it showed me any 'red flags' in a guy and helped keep my heart in the right place when meeting someone who I was taken with.

With that in mind, this sweet girl was praying through her list of qualities and felt that the Lord was answering her:

I prayed for a man committed to God.

Jesus smiled, “I and my Father are one.” John 10:30

I prayed for a man that would be a spiritual leader.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man cometh

to the Father, but by me.”  John 14:6

I prayed for a man of high standards and integrity.

 “He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.”  I Peter 2:22

I prayed for a man of the Word.

 “I am the living Word, and

I came to live with you.”  John 1:14

I prayed for a man that knew how to be a servant.

 “Jesus made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”  Philippians 2:7

I prayed for a man that was full of spiritual life.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10

I prayed for a man of faith and prayer.

Then I watched with amazement as He went out and spend all night in prayer...for me!  Luke 6:12

I prayed for a man that would provide for my needs.

He not only fed the five thousand long ago, He also feeds me today! Mark 6:41, Philippians 4:19

I prayed for a man that would be the head of the home and a leader. Someone to look up to spiritually.

 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:9

I prayed for a man that knew how to love others...even the unpleasant outcasts.

Jesus replied, “In that while you were all yet sinners [the lowest outcast],

I died for you.”  Romans 5:8

I prayed for someone that would help me walk closer to God.

And the more I got to know him, the closer I drew to God.  Psalm 23, Matthew 6:33

 {Adapted from The Perfect Valentine, Set Apart Girl Magazine, Feb 2009, Used with Permission}

What a beautiful reminder sweet friends, that all we desire in a relationship can be found in our first love.

In Christ alone. He alone satisfies.

Not even an earthly relationship compares.

Life is not more satisfying once you have a husband in your life.

He alone satisfies our every need.

Valentines Day is a day we can spend remembering our Love for the Lord. 

Don't get depressed, remember His promises on this day.

He has beautiful plans for you and longs for relationship with you.

If you want a love story today, start an eternal one with your prince. 

He won't let you down.

You are loved more than you will ever know, sweet friends!

Much Love,

L

Valentine Blogging Party: Gift Exchange.

I apologize for being a little late to the party when it comes to linking up 

about this sweet exchange I participated in. 

I love things like this. Like the one I hosted last year with sweet Erin from SweetnessItself.

More on that soon ;)

So fun getting to know someone new and send them a sweet package to brighten their day.

I'm particularly a huge fan of these in the winter time.

Well for this Midwest girl who finds the winter blues tough anyway. 

So let me introduce you to the sweet friend I made through this exchange.

{Images property of Shabby Sweet Tea, edited by me}

I had so much fun getting to know this sweet girl. In love with Paris, girly things, from the South.

What's not to love ;) Not to mention she had one of the prettiest outdoor vintage weddings I have seen (see here). Oh and she's pretty much the best DIY-er. I know I will be looking up tips from this sweet friend when I attempt a project in the next few weeks. 

You can Find Elyse in these places:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Pinterest

So you're probably wondering what this sweet girl sent me in my package.

She definitely read my personality pretty fast.

She sent me the sweetest card, chocolate bar and a Love Pin from Ten Thousand Villages.

The chocolate bar is not shown as it may have been somehow consumed before I got around to taking the pictures for the post. oops ;)

My heart for Africa is loving this gift from sweet Elyse.

More about the organisation behind the pin, from their website:

'OUR VISION

One day all artisans in the developing countries will earn a fair wage, be treated with dignity and respect and be able to live a life of quality.

OUR MISSION

Ten Thousand Villages' mission is to create opportunities for artisans in developing countries to earn income by bringing their products and stories to our markets through long-term fair trading relationships.

OUR NAME

The inspiration for our name—Ten Thousand Villages—came from a Mahatma Gandhi quote: "…India is not to be found in its few cities but in the 700,000 villages…we have hardly ever paused to inquire if these folks get sufficient to eat and clothe themselves with." To us, each village in the world represents a unique, distinctive people…offering extraordinary products born of their rich cultures and traditions.'

I can't wait to find a place for it on one of my bags or coats. 

Maybe it will be an awesome conversation starter or remind me to pray for Africa and more heart specific burdens, as I see the pin.

Thank you SO much sweet friend for being my valentine!

You are a gem!!

Much Love,

L

That Perfect Valentine. {On My Heart}

 

This is perhaps more of an {On My Heart} post, but since it is Valentines Day, I thought it appropriate to share an article I return to every February 14th since reading it a few years ago.

It was written by a wonderful Sister-in-Christ who shared what the Lord taught her while she was praying through her ideal husband.

Having written a similar list myself (when I was 16), I am a huge advocate of this idea. Being able to prayerfully consider what qualities you desire your husband to have (and even from yourself before you get married).

Then pray and ask the Lord to help grow your future husband in these ways.

When a guy then comes into your life and doesn't display these qualities, trust the Lord that this may not be the guy for you.

If he is, the Lord will show you.

I found this super helpful as it showed me any 'red flags' in a guy and helped keep my heart in the right place when meeting someone who I was taken with.

With that in mind, this sweet girl was praying through her list of qualities and felt that the Lord was answering her:

I prayed for a man committed to God.

Jesus smiled, “I and my Father are one.” John 10:30

I prayed for a man that would be a spiritual leader.

“I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No man cometh

to the Father, but by me.”  John 14:6

I prayed for a man of high standards and integrity.

 “He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth.”  I Peter 2:22

I prayed for a man of the Word.

 “I am the living Word, and

I came to live with you.”  John 1:14

I prayed for a man that knew how to be a servant.

 “Jesus made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men.”  Philippians 2:7

I prayed for a man that was full of spiritual life.

“I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”  John 10:10

I prayed for a man of faith and prayer.

Then I watched with amazement as He went out and spend all night in prayer...for me!  Luke 6:12

I prayed for a man that would provide for my needs.

He not only fed the five thousand long ago, He also feeds me today! Mark 6:41, Philippians 4:19

I prayed for a man that would be the head of the home and a leader. Someone to look up to spiritually.

 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:9

I prayed for a man that knew how to love others...even the unpleasant outcasts.

Jesus replied, “In that while you were all yet sinners [the lowest outcast],

I died for you.”  Romans 5:8

I prayed for someone that would help me walk closer to God.

And the more I got to know him, the closer I drew to God.  Psalm 23, Matthew 6:33

 {Adapted from The Perfect Valentine, Set Apart Girl Magazine, Feb 2009, Used with Permission}

What a beautiful reminder sweet friends, that all we desire in a relationship can be found in our first love.

In Christ alone. He alone satisfies.

Not even an earthly relationship compares.

Life is not more satisfying once you have a husband in your life.

He alone satisfies our every need.

Valentines Day is a day we can spend remembering our Love for the Lord. 

Don't get depressed, remember His promises on this day.

He has beautiful plans for you and longs for relationship with you.

If you want a love story today, start an eternal one with your prince. 

He won't let you down.

Much Love,

L

 
 {Photo Credit: Stephanie Bohde}